Poetry Study Guide Questions

List and explain the 10 steps to follow when reading/analyzing a poem.

1. listen to the poem

2. articulate your expectations, starting with the title

3. read the syntax literally. semantics will follow

4. identify sentences

5. use a dictionary

6. decipher who, when, where, and what happens

7. answer: why does it matter? what conflict is explored?

8. how does the poem’s form contribute to its meaning?

9. consider how the poem uses and departs from poetic conventions

10. discuss the poem

When reading a poem, what does it mean to slow down and pay attention?

It helps to process things gradually and to get a better understanding while differing from the fast pace of the world

How does rhyme and meter contribute to the sound of poetry?

Meter is the rhythm of syllables in a line of poetry, created by the arrangement of accented and unaccented syllables, while words rhyme when their ending sound the same

What 4 steps are used when trying to understand the tone of a difficult poem? Explain.

1. identify speaker

2. identify situation/issue

3. identify setting

4. identify shift/change-when, how, and why

Why is Harlem Renaissance so important to American literature, poetry, and music?

Gave Black writers, poets, and other forms of artists a platform to express their culture, identify, and experiences

What were the significant historical events leading up to Harlem Renaissance 1917-1929?

The Great Migration

World War 1

The New Negro

What marked the end of Harlem Renaissance and how did the philosophies of this era spread?

The stock market crash and the Great Depression marked the end of the period. The philosophies were spread through literature, music, newspapers, and political organizatinos

Why was “The Charge of the Light Brigade” so significant?

It immortalizes a tragic event during the Crimean War while highlighting the significance of proper communication

What is the importance of “The Charge of the Light Brigade” today?

Shows the importance of a small miscommunication

What were 3 historical conflicts/events that influences poetic literature? Which poems exhibit this influence?

World War 1

Harlem Renaissance

The Great Depression

We wear the Mask

The Charge of the Light Brigade

On Being Brought from Africa to America

What is the alternative meaning of “She dwelt among the untrodden ways”?

Lucy lived in an unconventional way. She didn’t follow the crowd or do anything anyone else did and because of this, there weren’t people there to appreciate her achievements

Explain the culture of drama in London England 1590’s.

The culture of drama was very competitive because whichever poem the Queen liked more, she would put her backing and her finances into that one show

What impact did the culture of drama in London England era have on the personal and professional relationship of Marlowe and Raleigh?

They both wanted to be better than one another, so when Marlowe wrote “The Passionate Shepherd to His Love” Raleigh got jealous and basically shot a cannon ball with his own poem “The Nymph’s Reply to the Shepard” dissing Marlowe

Why is it so important/helpful to understand the circumstances surrounding when a poem was written?

It is important we understand the circumstances because it gives us a better image of what the writer was going through